Questions for People who struggle with depression:

This doesn't really apply to me, but it used to. I suffered with manic depression and would cry, scream and punch the walls till my knuckles bled. I felt suicidal and lonely for the longest time and would fantasize about taking my own life and ending my pain. I had even attempted suicide after my mother had passed away. I survived and somehow managed to overcome my depression. These days, I seldom ever get depressed and feel a much better person having moved on :)

1) That world is this one; there's no good in imagining a world that doesn't exist. The help you need can be found here

2) I think the biggest issue is that people that suffer from neurotic illnesses like depression or anxiety know that it can be irrational but others may not understand that. Getting better is a process but anyone can do it.

3) Meditate. Journal. Appreciate the small things in life. Understand that your mindset is indeed in your control -- with the right habits, mantras, thought processes, you can completely change how you feel. Something that helps when I get mini flare-ups is just step outside of the thought and watch it purely as a thought. It's just a thought, there's no legitimacy to it. Works every time.

1. What would a world that understood and supported you look like?
well, it'd be a kinder world. a world that would just have sympathy n stuff. we're tired of getting hated for not being able to do what others can do. it's hard to live. i wish the world could just recognize that we are suffering inside n that we need to be treated with care and patience.

2. What are ways that people have misunderstood, hurt, or discriminated against you?
a lot of people think there's a way to "look depressed." it's fucking 2024, wtf is with this outdated logic yknow?? some ppl say that there's real vs fake depression even though it comes in different types of forms. depression isnt considered a tragedy until it ends up taking a life. it fuckin sucks hearing people say "if u were actually depressed u'd be dead," or some other shit like "u cant be depressed! u have [insert some random shit that doesnt fix someone's mental health at all" towards us. n i hate when people just assume that we can only hurt people bc we're hurting inside.. it's like we're being treated as threats when all we want is love. we arent leeches... :(

3. What are some things that have genuinely helped you manage or cope with depression?
some unhealthy coping mechanisms that i wont mention here (but dw im on the road to recovery), journaling, and making new friends. it's pretty hard for me to make friends online since im always worried ab being excluded (n i used to get cyberbullied a lot), but taking that risk is worth all the reward in the end. joining random voice channels on discord or following n talking to ppl that i think are friendly on twitter r all ways i've made some friends :> venting helps me a lot too!! i kinda vent to my journal more, but i'll vent to my friends sometimes :D

Thank you all so much for your responses! Some of them are more relatable than you know and I really appreciate perspective seeing both things I can relate to and things that are different from my own experience yet still very valid. THANK YOU!

1. What would a world that understood and supported you look like? I'd have stability. I'd have a safe place to live. I wouldn't be as depressed because the world wouldn't be full of tragedy and poverty. People who saw I was depressed wouldn't say, "I'm sorry" so much and would try to distract me more.

2. What are ways that people have misunderstood, hurt, or discriminated against you? My depression started in high-school and has been largely untreatable due to sensitivity stuff that gives me weird medication side effects. I definitely got told how often people don't want to date me because I'm depressed or people leave me because I'm never happy. Also, jobs don't really accommodate for depression. The world's not very friendly for disabled people in general.

3. What are some things that have genuinely helped you manage or cope with depression? It's never really eased up except for moments of mania. I don't JUST have depression so it just plays into everything else. I try to do things I enjoy more than anything. See friends. Enjoy the sunset. Kiss cute people

1. What would a world that understood and supported you look like? if everyone would bewould be more forgiving of my mental illness and understanding
2. What are ways that people have misunderstood, hurt, or discriminated against you? i have been called "abusive" for being suicidal (which you cannot control)
3. What are some things that have genuinely helped you manage or cope with depression? cbt therapy, meds